Dying Overseas - What happens next

Posted by Stephen Whitfield

Death is never an easy topic to talk about, however with old and young alike moving to greener pastures overseas to live and work it’s something that needs to be taken into consideration. Whether you’re a retiree moving abroad to spend your final days in the sun or a young traveller out to see the world, it’s an unfortunate reality that life can be taken from any of us in the blink of an eye.

Sadly there are numerous implications of dying overseas which can compound the grief of the family you leave behind. If you wish to have your body returned to your home country for burial or cremation, the cost of repatriating your remains can be painfully high.

Don't leave your loved ones with the financial burden.

It has recently been reported that a 20 year old British national died in a moped accident while working as a photographer in Ayia Napa. He was tragically killed after the moped he was riding collided with a bus. Sadly, the cost of flying his body home is extremely high and his family are currently trying to raise enough money to do so. You can read more about the tragic story here.

This story is not the only one of its kind and with thousands of people spending long periods overseas, it is a problem that will no doubt continue. There are reports of people going to extreme lengths to try and fly bodies home illegally. Recently two women were caught trying take the corpse of a decided relative back home by dressing him in sunglasses and putting him in a wheelchair. Needless to say they were apprehended at the airport as this is illegal for many reasons, including failure to declare a death.

The best solution is to take out a travel, life or health insurance plan which covers the costs of repatriating remains. Alternatively you can take out a dedicated policy which will protect against the financial costs of repatriation of mortal remains. Each policy will offer a different level of cover, but they could cover costs for aspects of dying abroad including:

Funeral costs

Leasing with hospital staff

Overseeing documentation such as death certificates, invoices...etc

Transport of mortal remains

This problem is generally something most people won’t consider when working or living overseas, but is a very serious issue. If you would like more information about this subject please contact Medibroker Ltd who can find the right international health insurance cover for you.